Photo Credit; Getty Images
Phoebe Dynevor has been set to star in Beach Read, the upcoming feature adaptation from 20th Century Studios based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Emily Henry. The project marks another major literary adaptation for the studio and places Dynevor at the center of one of the most popular contemporary romance titles of recent years.
Published in 2020, Beach Read quickly became a breakout success and established Emily Henry as a leading voice in modern romantic fiction. The story follows January Andrews, a successful romance novelist who finds herself grappling with grief and writer’s block after the death of her father and the revelation of long hidden family secrets. Seeking both distance and clarity, January spends the summer at her late father’s Michigan beach house to prepare it for sale. What begins as a quiet retreat soon becomes something far more complicated.
While there, January reconnects with Gus Everett, a literary fiction author who was once her rival during their college years. Both writers are creatively stuck and struggling to meet deadlines. In a moment of frustration and challenge, they strike a deal. They will swap genres for the summer. January will attempt serious literary fiction while Gus will write a romance novel. They agree on one crucial rule. There will be no falling in love. As readers of the novel know, such promises are rarely easy to keep.
The adaptation will be directed by Yulin Kuang, who also penned the screenplay. Kuang previously co wrote the Netflix adaptation of People We Meet on Vacation, another novel by Henry, making her a natural fit to bring Beach Read to the screen. Production will be overseen by Neal H Moritz through Original Films, with Karina Rahardja serving as executive producer. Sarah Shepard and Catherine Hughes are overseeing the project for 20th Century Studios, while the studio’s literary affairs team led by Clare Reeth spearheaded the effort to secure the rights to the novel.
For Dynevor, the role continues a steady rise in high profile film projects. She was most recently seen starring in Lionsgate’s dystopian drama Anniversary, directed by Jan Komasa. Her upcoming slate is equally notable. She is attached to the Netflix survival thriller Shiver, A24’s Famous opposite Zac Efron, and Remain, a romantic drama directed by M Night Shyamalan and co starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which Warner Bros will release on October 23. She has also completed production on the thriller Pendulum, directed by Mark Heyman, where she appears alongside Joseph Gordon Levitt and Norman Reedus.
Dynevor first gained widespread recognition as a breakout star of Bridgerton, and her continued move into film roles signals a deliberate expansion of her career. With Beach Read, she steps into a character beloved by millions of readers. As 20th Century Studios continues to adapt popular romantic fiction for the screen, the pairing of Dynevor with one of Emily Henry’s most celebrated stories positions the film as one of the most anticipated literary adaptations currently in development.
